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City Press reports that the rift between National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim and SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) boss Zwelinzima Vavi is overshadowing the forthcoming Numsa congress (also known as the “metalworkers’ parliament”).
The congress was scheduled to commence in Cape Town on Monday, but has since been interdicted by the Labour Court. Two months ago, tension between the two was palpable at the Saftu congress, where Numsa was left frustrated after the majority of delegates voted against its motion to lift the suspension of four senior Saftu officials. The four were suspended after their plans to suspend Vavi had come to light. In a 23-page letter, Vavi defended himself against allegations of unleashing propaganda against Numsa and having no regard for its future or leadership. The allegations against him were included in Numsa’s 11th congress report, which Jim shared with all regions. The congress report reads: “Vavi has absolutely no regard for the future of Numsa or its leadership. In his capacity as a Numsa deployee, he speaks recklessly and unprovoked about the relationship between Numsa and the vanguard party it has catalyzed.” The “vanguard party” referred to was the Social Revolutionist Workers’ Party (SRWP), which fared badly in the 2019 general election. In addition, Jim threatened that Numsa’s national executive committee (NEC) expected Vavi – as its deployee – to champion its aims and decisions, failing which Numsa would invoke the principle of recall, in line with chapter 9 of its constitution. In response, Vavi asked: “Why didn’t Numsa tell me in 2017, when I was elected, that I was expected to champion the aims and decisions of Numsa or face a recall?” In the congress report, Jim claimed that he and the SRWP had nothing to do with the infighting in Saftu, or with the tension within the national office-bearers’ collective. Vavi countered by saying that Jim had endorsed his deployees, during the second national Saftu congress and in regional congresses, to boldly sing songs that opposed him.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Majavu at City Press (subscriber access only)
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